1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to graphics processing software, and in particular, to a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for optimizing graphical data synchronization between a graphical client and a stateless server.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a strong trend today in the software industry to replace desktop applications with Web-based solutions. The reasons are many, including the pervasive presence of the Web and the distributed nature of Web-based solutions, thereby allowing for remote data access and customized lightweight client solutions by exploiting a powerful server.
A common problem with desktop applications is that they are typically structured in a way that assumes data is stored locally, e.g., on the hard disk or on a LAN. This creates inefficiencies that limit their usefulness as tools in a distributed environment where network bandwidth is a limited resource.
Thus, there is a need in the art for solutions that provide for better data synchronization between a graphical client and a server. Such solutions should provide for distributed and remote access to large data sets in potentially low bandwidth situations.